Pipe coupling detachable locking device



Oct. 17, 1939.y

J. E. MCLAUGHLIN PIPE COUPLING DETACHABLE LOCKING DEVICE Filed July 18,1938 wf .ffl

1N VENT OR.

Patented Oct. 17, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFHCE PIPE COUPLINGDETACHABLE LOCKING DEVICE 4 Claims.

The device of this invention relates to means to detachably lock theadjoining ends of flow pipe or drill pipe or other lengths which arenormally in threaded union, whereby the ends of such members are joinedin such manner as to prevent their accidental dislocation.

It is frequently found in oil wells employing lgreat lengths of flowpipe, that due to vibration oi the upwardly flowing oil, as Well as dueto l0 the movement of the sucker rod in actuating the well pump, thatvibration of varying degrees of intensity frequently causes certain ofthe joints of such pipe or tubing to become loosened to an extentsumcient to permit the escape of quantities of oil therefrom, which oilreturning to A the pump between the flow pipe and the casing is againpumped upwardly to again be lost in part or whole by escape through theloosened iiow pipe connection, In extreme cases such flow pipe maybecome entirely loosened from its next or subadjacent length, and itgoes without saying, that when such a situation arises, it

necessitates great expense in time and money to rejoin the ends of thesaid separated flow pipe. However, even though such flovvkpipe is notentirely disjoined, but merely dislocated to the,

extent of leakage, great inefficiency results from the idlerecirculation of endless quantities of oil which would otherwise havebeen raised to the Surface in the form of useful production.

In view of the foregoing, it is a prime object of the present inventionto provide a simple, yet practical means to join the ends of a flow pipe0r other .tubing or piping in such manner that adjoining ends thereofare held in locked relation, yet in such manner as to enable the saidtubing to be disengaged by application of pressure by apparatus upon thesurface of the earth.

A further object of the invention is to provide a detachable ordisengageable locking means for iiow pipe which will prevent looseningof the joints thereof by reason of vibration resulting from the flow ofuid or by vibration setup by movement of the well pumps sucker rod.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple, reliable,rugged, and relatively low cost disengageable locking device for tubingfor the purposes stated.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention may appear fromthe accompanying drawing, the specification, and the subjoined claims.

In the drawing of which there is one sheet:

Figure 1 is a utility view showing in fragment,

a well having a flow pipe employing the device of this invention as alocking means to join the adjoining ends of pipe.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the flow pipe locking means of thisinvention.

Figure 3 is a view partially in section showing 5 construction used inbuilding the detachable look of this invention.

Figure 4 is a plan view in section taken on line in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a plan vievv in section taken on line 10 5 5, in Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a plan view in section taken on line 6 6, in Figure 3.

Figure 7 is a side elevation of a disengageable collar adapted to besecured upon the flow pipe, 15 the collar being adapted to form anabutment for spring means to hold certain of the member parts of thisinvention in operative engagement.

In the drawing the reference character Ill indicated a well having aflow pipe I2 formed of a 20 plural number of sections I4 and I6, theadjacent ends of which are held in detachable locked engagement by meansof the device I8 of this invention. Oil wells or other wells ofconsiderable depth employ many of the sections or lengths I4 25 and I 6,but for the purpose of the illustration, but two of such sections havebeen shown, additional sections Would of course be merely repetitiouslof the instant showing.

As shown in Figures 2 to 'l inclusive, the device 30 I8 comprises thebase member 20 which is secured to the end I6a oi pipe length I6 bymeans of set-screws 22 which are flush with or counter sunk in the basemember whereby it is removed from engagement With other parts of theWell 35 and associated apparatus when being raised or lowered withrespect to the Well I0.

The member 20 is provided with an inter'- locking edge 24 whichcomprises square tongues 26 and rectangular recesses 28, which are 40adapted to be brought into matched engagement with rectangular tonguesand recesses 3l) and 32 formed in the threaded sleeve 34, the end 34a,of which is in threaded engagement With the end Ia of flow pipe I6.

The end 34h of the sleeve 34 is also provided with an inter-locking edge36 which diilers from the edge 24 in that the tongues 36 are formed withinclined sides or edges of such degree of angular inclination as to berelatively with- 5G drawable from recesses 38a formed in the cylindricalmember 49. Tongues 42 having an identical conguration to that of tongue38, extend from the member 4I) and are adapted to rest in nestedrelation with recesses 38a. 55

The tongues 26, 30, 38, and 42 have part of their stock out-away asshown at 48 in Figure 3 in order to provide clearance of the threads 48and 5@ on pipes I4 and I6 when the inter-locking edges 24 and 36 arebrought into engagement.

The inner wall 52 of the member 48 is out away at Ell to provide a restfor an extensile spring 58, the opposite end of which is in abutmentwith a split collar 58.

The collar 58 is provided with an interlocking joint Bil, formed ofalternating tongues and recesses 84 and 66.

Set-screws 88 threadedly positioned upon the line 18 of cleavage betweenthe halves of the collar 58. The collar is relatively adjustable uponthe end Ilia of pipe I4, and is held in position by means of set-screws'l2 which are loosely positioned in substantially reversed L shapedslots 14 formed in the cylindrical member dil, and extend inwardlythrough and in threaded engagement with the split collar 58 throughopenings 'i5 and abut the end 14a of pipe length it.

The foregoing description of construction employed in the device of thisinvention is conclusive, reference will now be made to the descriptionof operation.

Of the member parts which comprise the device of invention, the basemember 28 may be said to be first slipped over the end 53a of pipelength it. The threaded sleeve 38 is then turned upon the threaded endof length l5 until agood and sufhcient threaded connection has beenestablished therebetween. Pipe length i4 is then threaded into thesleeve 34 until it is also in good and sufficient connection therewith.

The cylindrical member lli), having the eXtensile spring 55 therein, isthen slipped down over the end Ma of pipe lA. and is rotated until theinterlocking edge 3G is brought into matched engagement. The halves ofthe split collar 58 are then laid upon the end Ma and are joined bymeans of set-screws 88 thereby locking the half collars into a unitarystructure, which is then forced downwardly upon the spring 58 until theupper extremity 'l5 of slot "M is 'brought into alignment therewith.Set-screws 'i2 are then inserted until they are brought into positiveengagement with the pipe i4, The base member 28 is then moved upwardlyuntil the interlocking edge 2e is brought into matched engagement, onepart with the other, the set-screws 20a are then tightened until thebase member is in xed position.

The foregoing description of the assembly of the device now brings us tothe operation of the same, which is as follows.

Assembly of the device as aforestated, will dennitely hold the pipes I6and I4 in fixed relation against such minor sources of vibration asowing iiuids, and sucker-rod movement, by reason of the fact that themember 34 which is analogous of a common pipe collar, is held in fixedposition by means of the base member 2 8 and the interlocking edge 24,for the set-screws 20a afford suiiicient grip upon pipe i8 to hold themember 2U even though there might be a tendency for the sleeve (collar)to turn, The cylindrical member de is Xedly joined with the pipe ill byreason of the split collar 58 and the set-screws l2 which are inabutment with the pipe l, and since the interlocking edge 35 brings themember til and sleeve 34 into non-rotatable relation, the pipe I4 cannotrotate until and unless the interlocking edge 38 becomes disengaged,

and parts are moved to the position shown in dotted lines 40a.

The inclined faces between the tongues and recesses employed in theinterlocking edge 36 enables the pipe lengths I4 and I8 to be disengagedif power is applied thereto, but it has been found that the type ofvibration found to exist in flow pipes after installation, are never ofsufficient magnitude to cause a dislocation of the interlocking edge 36,and hence are never sufficient to cause such a break in the pipeconnections as to enable oil to ow therethrough.

While I have shown and described the preferred form of my invention, Ido not wish to be limited to the specific showing herein made, but doclaim as a part of this invention, all such near resemblance, ofprinciple and mode of operation as clearly falls within the scope of theinvention as set forth in the following appended claims.

I claim:

l. A ow pipe coupling comprising a sleeve adapted to join adjacent endsof an upper and lower pipe in threaded union, a collar iixedly securedupon the upper end of the lower oi' said pipes and being in matchedserrated edge engagement with said sle-eve, a second collar, said secondcollar being iixedly secured upon and adjacent the lower end of theupper of said pipes and being provided with pins projecting thereasecond sleeve, said last mentioned sleeve being positioned over saidsecond mentioned collar and over the lower portion of said upper pipeand being in matched tongue and recess engagement with said firstmentioned sleeve, said second mentioned sleeve being provided with slotssleeve, said second sleeve being placed over said last mentioned collarand being in matched tongue and recess engagement with said firstmentioned sleeve, said second mentioned sleeve fbeing provided' withslots, pins projecting from said second mentioned collar and beingadapted for relative movement within said slots whereby the sleeve maybe moved longitudinally upon said first pipe, and a spring to normallyurge said second sleeve into union with said rst mentioned sleeve, saidslots being formed with a recess to receive said pins whereby saidsecond mentioned sleeve may be held in disjoined relation to said rstmentioned sleeve.

3. In a flow pipe coupling, a sleeve in threaded union with adjacentends of a iirst and a second ow pipe, a collar upon said second pipe tolock said sleeve relative thereto, a collar upon said rst pipe, a secondsleeve, said sec-ond sleeve being fitted over said second collar andsaid iirst pipe and being provided with an annular flange upon the innerside thereof, matched tongues and recesses in said sleeves whereby theymay be held in disengageable union, a spring encircling said rst pipeand being under compression between said second collar and said annulariiange whereby said sleeves may be forced into engagement, pinsprojecting from said collars, longitudinally and transversely directedslots in said second sleeve to receive said pins whereby said secondsleeve will move longitudinally of said pipe and subsequently be held indisengaged relation with said first sleeve upon application ofrotational pressure to said rst pipe.

4. A detachable lock for two flow pipe sections comprising incombination with such pipe, a sleeve joining said pipe sections inthreaded connection and being provided in its one end with tongue andrecess configuration, a collar iixedly secured upon one of said pipesections, a second sleeve, said second sleeve having slots and beingslidably positioned over said collar and being provided with tongue andrecess conguration adapted to be in mesh with that of said rst menlionedsleeve, a spring operatively positioned within said second sleeve toforce the same into said tongue and recess engagement, pins projectingfrom said collar and adapted to move through said slots upon applicationof tension and then torsional pressure whereby said second sleeve willbe disengaged from said iirst sleeve and held 10 in said disengagedposition.

JAMES E. McLAUGI-ILIN.

